US Sen. Duckworth defeats Chicago-area lawyer, wins 2nd term

CHICAGO (AP) — Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth won reelection Tuesday in Illinois, defeating political newcomer and lawyer Kathy Salvi.

Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran who lost both legs when her helicopter was shot down in 2004, has served in Congress for nearly a decade. Between 2013 and 2017, she represented Illinois’ 8th Congressional District, northwest of Chicago.

The 54-year-old was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2017, beating out incumbent Republican Mark Kirk, and in April 2018 became the first senator to give birth while in office.

Salvi, a Chicago-area personal injury lawyer, edged out six competitors to win the Republican primary in June. The 63-year-old campaigned as an alternative for voters looking for a change from soaring prices and high crime rates.

Salvi told Fox32 in July that she was in favor of cutting off aid to Ukraine in the war against Russia, but last month walked back her position, saying the U.S. needs to investigate how the money was spent before sending more.

In a joint interview sponsored by the Illinois AP Media Editors Oct. 3, Duckworth and Salvi sparred over abortion. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that abortion is not a right under the Constitution.

“She wants to rip freedom away from women,” first-term incumbent Duckworth said of her opponent.

Salvi cast Duckworth’s position as extreme, saying “there isn’t an abortion she doesn’t support.”

Duckworth said Salvi misstated her stance, and that she supports Illinois' restrictions on abortions after viability — about 24 weeks of pregnancy — as well as codifying Roe v. Wade.

Salvi said in an Oct. 27 debate that she opposes abortion but supports exceptions in cases of rape, incest, or threat to a patient's life.

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Learn more about the issues and factors at play in the midterms at https://apnews.com/hub/explaining-the-elections. And follow the AP’s election coverage of the 2022 elections at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections.

Claire Savage, The Associated Press